Taxing Cell Phone Service: What Will It Cost You?

June 14, 2009 · 5 comments

Following up on my earlier post about the IRS taxation of cell phones, I’m curious to know what the average cell phone bill is for my readers. The cost of the phone service will be a consideration for purposes of taxation – I’m guessing the cost of the phone will be included, as well.

JD Powers claims that this amount is about $77/month. How accurate is that? Take the poll!


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IRS Fights Back on Cell Phone Issue | taxgirl
June 16, 2009 at 7:55 am

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1 g.t.nowell June 14, 2009 at 11:59 am

Your poll is weak. No way to indicate if its work, home or both. JD Powers estimate is a little higher than my monthly bill and mine is all personal.

2 JBruce June 14, 2009 at 2:45 pm

I’m such an old fogey that I use my cellphone to make and (if I choose) receive calls. Nothing else. I have never sent a text message (and have received only three in ten years). I don’t particularly like telephones: many years ago I had a telephone epiphany — whenever the phone rings that’s someone interrupting to demand that you “stop whatever you’re doing and talk to me”. That’s rude, unless it’s someone I really do want to talk to — and caller-ID can make sure about that. For everyone else, the answering machine on the land line and voice mail on the cellphone assure that I can avoid succumbing to their “rudeness”. I’ll call back whenever (and if ever) I feel like it.
My bill for me and my soon-to-be ex-wife is $72 a month, with 500 shared anytime minutes and nationwide roaming. We’ve never used as many as 400 of those minutes in any month, even though my cellphone is the only telephone I have (my s-t-b-x wife lives in the house with the land line).
My next door neighbor’s cell bill is over $200 a month; they have G-3 service, texting, etc etc etc and well over 1000 minutes a month. Especially with her, I can’t have a conversation exceeding five minutes without her either getting a call or texting back and forth with someone. Foo.

3 Kelly June 14, 2009 at 9:02 pm

I was trying to conduct my own version of JD Powers’ survey which didn’t take into consideration the difference between personal and biz service. Many employees don’t know the cost of their service.

4 Benjamin Juang June 16, 2009 at 4:13 am

I have a hatred of contracts, so I use T-mobile Pay-as-you-go plan. I’m guessing I recharge $100 at a time probably once every 6-8 months. So that’d be… 12-16 dollars a month?

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